Student’s Guide: The Golden Goblet – Level 4/Year 1

Tirzah’s people, the Israelites, have been in slavery to the Egyptians for many years. Tirzah and her lame brother, Oren, help gather straw to make bricks. She observes the suffering of her people and the injustices that are done to them by the Egyptian police. Moses begs Pharaoh to let them go, but Pharaoh makes them work harder.

One night, when the plague of death strikes down Pharaoh’s own son, he allows the Israelites to flee on foot, only to pursue them with horses and chariots. He believes he will have them trapped between the mountains and the sea, but God miraculously delivers them. The Israelites celebrate with a song of hope and victory. Tirzah befriends a young Egyptian girl who has fled with them, even though others treat her badly. In spite of hardship and disappointment, Tirzah and her family keep trusting Yahweh to carry them through.

The history of Greece is taught chronologically, as students read short biographical sketches outlining the lives of important figures.

The selections begin with the Greek creation and flood stories, then continue with legendary figures like Perseus, Hercules, and Jason. Then come the leaders of the Trojan War: Agamemnon, Achilles, & Odysseus. The lawgivers of the Greek cities (Lycurgus, Draco, & Solon) are profiled and the leaders who led the defense of Greece against the Persian invasion are covered (Miltiades, Leonidas, & Themistocles).

The second half of the book covers the Greek classical period (Pericles, Alcibiades, & Socrates) and finally, the age of Alexander the Great (Demosthenes, Aristotle, & Ptolemy).

Your fourth or fifth graders should be able to enjoy it independently,older students can read it as well and not feel like they have been given something that is “babyish.”

The text includes a new preface by Rob & Cyndy Shearer, as well as an essay for Christian parents titled, “What to do about Mythology?”

Note: The Greenleaf Press edition is NOT identical to the 1904 edition, or to the editions reprinted by other publishers. It has been edited, updated, and supplemented with additional material.